If there was any doubt that the bipartisan campfire sing-alongs at the beginning of the legislative session have abruptly ended, the latest dust-up on the House floor this morning makes it clear.

This time, it happened when Rep. John Kefalas, D-Fort Collins, got up during the announcements portion of the morning proceedings and then used that opportunity to again bring up the ongoing saga over passing a civility resolution. House Republicans, back in power after six years in the minority, now say they don’t need to pass a resolution to be civil, even though the House has passed one for five years in a row and the resolution started as a GOP idea.

The tension between parties in the House was in full bloom Tuesday, with House Speaker Frank McNulty gaveling down several Democrats during a debate over a resolution certifying how much revenue the state has to spend. (House Republicans decided to approve a resolution that is $195 million lower than the lowest official estimate, meaning that much more would have to be cut from the budget. And Republicans haven’t identified where that money could come from.)

House Majority Leader Amy Stephens and the antique she had hauled out of a womens restroom. Lynn Bartels/The Denver Post

When Republican Amy Stephens set out to decorate the majority leader’s office, she headed straight to a third-floor women’s restroom at the Capitol.

Inexplicably, the restroom offers one of the best western views from the Capitol and, until Republicans regained the majority in the House, a beautiful antique.

The antique had places to hang hats or coats and a bench with a lid that lifted. Probably in the olden days, scarves and mittens were kept in that bench.

Stephens, a Monument Republican, had it hauled down to her second-floor office. (She also painted the office walls to give them a warmer look and is going to have her hubby and son haul up a couch from their house that they rarely use.)

I did a double take when I saw the antique in Stephens’ office. I had no idea where it had gone.

“Any chance you found a cosmetics purse with a toothbrush, toothpaste and an ungodly amount of floss in the storage area?” I asked.

A union rally at the state Capitol today focused on jobs. (Lynn Bartels, The Denver Post)

House Minority Leader Sal Pace came out fighting today during a labor rally at the Capitol, hammering Republicans as the party that wants to make the “rich richer.”

The Pueblo Democrat pledged to stand up for “good-paying jobs,” jobs he said unions provide.

“I’m willing to put my fist where I need to put it,” Pace said. “I’m willing to fight. I’m willing to go and rumble to make sure we’re fighting for good jobs.”

A fellow Democrat with strong union ties said Pace could have been more “tactful,” and a union staffer called his comments “abrasive,” although she was quick to add they were needed. The House majority leader accused Pace of trying to secure union donations in case of a congressional bid.

Afterward, Pace conceded: “I went a little overboard on the rhetoric.”

Lynn Bartels thinks politics is like sports but without the big salaries and protective cups. The Washington Post's "The Fix" blog has named her one of Colorado's best political reporters and tweeters.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.